Voice of the Fugitive, Upper Canada (Ontario), Henry and Mary Bibb, 1851

Front page of the Voice of the Fugitive dated March 12, 1851. Source: Google Newspapers. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GO5CT2y9xrEC&dat=18510312&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

Artistic representation of Henry and Mary Bibb. Source: https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/personnage-person/mary-henry-bibb

Prospectus for the Voice of the Fugitive. This copy of Bibb’s prospectus was sent to officials of the American Missionary Association in New York seeking that organization’s assistance in procuring funding for the publication. Source: Public domain, via Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved : April,28, 2024

Notes

Henry Bibb was born into slavery, he escaped but was recaptured and escaped again before becoming an anti-slavery writer. Mary Bibb was born a free person of colour in Brooklyn, New York. Henry and Mary were married in 1848 in Dayton, Ohio. In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in the United States. This act required slaves to be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. The Bibbs decided it would be dangerous to remain in America and in 1850 they found their way to Sandwich, now Windsor, Ontario. Mary opened a school for Black children, as Black children were not allowed to attend public schools at that time. Both supported and helped freedom seekers, providing them with food and shelter.

In January 1851, they published the first edition of The Voice of the Fugitive, the first Black-owned newspaper in Canada, published in Sandwich, Canada West. The paper was used to communicate with abolitionists and supporters of the Underground Railroad. Its subscribers were located in both Canada and the United States, and the paper provided useful information for Black people fleeing slavery or otherwise settling in Canada. The Bibbs established the Windsor Anti-Slavery Society

Heny Bibb died in 1854 at the age of thirty nine. Mary did remarry but when her second husband died, she went back to Brooklyn, New York and died there in 1877.

In 2022 they were named as National Historic Persons.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_the_Fugitive

  • Category
    Early Printing and Type

    Title
    The Voice of the Fugitive, Henry and Mary, 1851

    Date
    1851

    Credits
    Printers: Henry 1815–1854) and Mary (1820–1877) Bibb

    Principal Typefaces
    unknown

    Description
    Newspaper
    Size: unknown

    Region
    Ontario

    Language
    English

    Images
    1

    Holding
    Unknown

  • Artifact copyright: CTA was unable to clarify rights but welcomes contact from rightsholders to resolve permissions, if required, and will remove digitized works at the rightsholder’s request (rightsholders may contact CTA at copyright@canadiantypography.ca). CTA makes digitized works available for education and research. Responsibility for any use rests with the user.

    Notes copyright: Notes accompanying artifacts are licenced under Creative Commons licensing CCbyNC which allows for non-commercial use with attribute.

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